Formula One is the most electrifying sports on the planet and the adrenaline at the track on race day is unmatched. The speed and sound of the cars as they race around the track is incredible as the drivers compete to become the world champion. Sports betting fans are always looking for the next potential world champion, even from a young age, but at what age can you spot the next Formula One world champion?
The Youngest World Champions
Sebastian Vettel is the youngest world champion in Formula One history having landed the title in 2010 at the age of 23 years and 133 days. There were signs back in 2007 that Vettel was going to go all the way in the sport as he became the youngest-ever Formula One points scorer for BMW Sauber.
At the time of his achievement with BMW Sauber, Vettel was only 20 years old, and many pundits were already tipping the German to go all the way in the sport. Lewis Hamilton won his first Formula One world Championship in 2008 and he was only 167 days older than Vettel.
The finish to the race at the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix will never be forgotten and Hamilton passed Timo Glock near the end of the race to become the youngest world champion at the time. Some of the other youngest men to claim the Formula One world title include Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen, and Emerson Fittipaldi but how early is it possible to spot the talent of these drivers?
The Hamilton Bet
One sports betting fan landed a winning bet on Lewis Hamilton to be Formula One world champion when he was just 9 years old. The bet is one of the longest running sports bets in history as Hamilton won his first world championship as the age of 23, meaning the lucky punter was waiting 14 years to claim his winnings. He was not the only person to win a bet on Hamilton becoming world champion having seen him in action at a young age.
When Hamilton won a karting championship in 1998, the father of one of the other children in the race proceeded to bet on Hamilton to win the Formula One world championship and he delivered. The bet was placed when Hamilton was 13 years old and Richard Hopkins, the man behind the bet, also placed other bets on Hamilton, including to win his first Formula One race by the age of 22, which he accomplished.
Spotting Potential
So, when taking the example of Hamilton, it is possible to spot the next Formula One world champion from a young age. Yes, the bet on Hamilton as a 9-year-old could be seen as lucky but for those who attend races in the younger age groups regularly, it is possible to spot who could be a huge talent in the future. The same applies to many sports, with football being a good example.
When Barcelona signed Lionel Messi, he was only 13 years of age, and they made a commitment to bring him over from Argentina because they could see he was going to be something special. Fans of motor sport do not only watch Formula One races but many of the other racing events in the younger age groups, which can be extremely exciting to watch.
There are many talented young drivers in Formula Two who are still teenagers but as proven with the bets on Hamilton, it is possible to go even further down the age groups. Bookmakers will often create odds if requested by a punter and if there is a real standout star in the lower age groups of kart racing, it could be worth placing a bet on them to become a Formula One world champion in the future. Only a select group of people win the Formula One world championship, but it is possible to spot the potential from as young as 9 years old.